


Break a Promise, Make a Promise

by quartetship



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Inspired by Art, Inspired by Fanart, M/M, Wedding Day Jitters, Wedding Fluff, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-12 21:09:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18454676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quartetship/pseuds/quartetship
Summary: Keith said he wouldn't cry.





	Break a Promise, Make a Promise

**Author's Note:**

> This little story was inspired by the [beautiful artwork](https://twitter.com/somekindoftuber/status/1116808539161407488) of [@somekindoftuber](https://twitter.com/somekindoftuber). Thanks again for letting me write something based on your work!
> 
> \--

Keith said he wouldn’t cry. 

In the weeks leading up to their wedding, Keith had been resolute about that fact. Friends and family began to gather from all over the universe at their invitation and the question on nearly all of their lips upon greeting the couple was the same. “Who is going to cry?”

Lance was quick to claim that role for himself. While he liked to pretend he wasn’t fazed by all the attention being lavished onto them, he was very much preening beneath it. He had been poring over details with his mother and sisters since Keith had proposed months earlier, so when people asked him how he would keep his composure on the big day he was as dramatic as ever in his reply. 

“How am I supposed to?” he asked each time, always making a point to look Keith’s way. “I get to marry the half-man, half-alien of my dreams. I think I’ll take one look at him and just lose it.” 

Those kinds of answers always led to people tossing enamored looks Keith’s way, to oohing and aahing about just how  _ lucky _ he was that Lance was so besotted with him. 

It also left Keith with burning hot ears and feeling like disappearing from everyone’s line of sight. When you’re attending wedding showers and other “extremely important festivities” with Lance’s family, though, that is never an option. 

Keith accepted that he was doomed to keep repeating himself in his insistence that he wouldn’t cry until after the vows were exchanged. As he watched Lance go over details for perhaps the thirty-seventh time with his relatives, he thanked the collective universe that he only had to wait a few more days. 

—

On the morning of the wedding, Keith felt a strange sense of isolation that he hadn’t expected. 

Over breakfast with Shiro and his mother, he was quiet, trying to reason through his feelings. He couldn’t think of why he was anything less than content. He had been all but surrounded by people for days, so feeling alone wasn’t logical. Likewise, he was  _ getting married _ in just a few hours - what did he have to be upset about? 

Unfortunately, even when he was quiet, Shiro was perceptive. 

“You can tell us if something is bothering you, you know.” 

Keith looked up from his half-eaten plate of food to see that Shiro and Krolia were both finished eating, both looking back at him with some measure of concern. He shifted in his seat, feeling that uncomfortable heat return to his cheeks and ears. 

“It’s, uh. I don’t even know, honestly.” 

He wasn’t lying, but Shiro didn’t seem satisfied. “Mhm,” he nodded, eyebrow arched. Keith sighed, slumping over the table in defeat. 

“I don’t know. I feel… weird,” Keith admitted. At that, Shiro’s disbelieving expression softened. 

“Is everything okay?” he asked. Keith shrugged. He could feel his mother’s hand come to rest on his shoulder. 

“I think so. I don’t… I have no reason to feel this way, but I feel almost lonely. Like I’m by myself, or there’s something missing. But, I mean… Everyone’s here.” 

“When did you last talk to Lance?” Shiro asked. Keith thought. 

“Uh, the day before yesterday? Hunk and Pidge wouldn’t let me see or talk to him yesterday. It’s bad luck, or whatever.” 

“Perhaps you are simply missing him,” Krolia suggested. Keith sat up slightly, blinking back at her. 

“After a day and a half?” 

It was Krolia’s turn to shrug, picking up her coffee mug and sipping as she did. “I certainly missed your father every day I was apart from him,” she replied, pausing for another drink. “From the moment I left.” 

Keith’s chest twisted at that. He hadn’t meant to  _ go there, _ not on the morning of his wedding. Krolia didn’t seem upset, though - only concerned as she moved her hand from his shoulder to stroke through his unruly hair. 

“When your heart takes a mate, it can be hard to be apart. Especially when you need one another for support.” 

“She’s right,” Shiro added, a soft, fond smile returning to his face. “I’ve been there. The last few days have been stressful and you haven’t really had each other around to lean on. Plus, you and Lance are basically attached at the hip these days. You probably just don’t know ow how to function without the other there to annoy you.” 

Keith rolled his eyes, sitting back in his chair with arms folded across his chest. “Yeah, okay. I get it. So, I’m a big baby that can’t survive without my boyfriend around for a day and a half.” 

“Don’t worry,” Shiro teased, clearly enjoying Keith’s sour face. “He’ll be your husband, soon. If we get you ready in time, that is.” 

He and Krolia rose from the table, waiting for Keith to follow and looking far too smug for his liking. After a long moment, Keith relented. Maybe they were right. Perhaps. Hopefully. 

He left the breakfast table, still unsure why he felt so alone with two of his favorite people by his side. 

—

Guests could smell the wedding venue before they could see it. 

At least Keith assumed as much. Lance had chosen Altean juniberry flowers for their celebration, something Keith wouldn’t have taken from him even if he’d had a problem with them. As it was, he just found it mildly amusing that their friends and family could probably navigate their way to their seats by the sweet, floral scent alone. 

Keith didn’t spend very long getting ready. He knew that if he lingered in front of the mirror, he would start to question whether he looked presentable enough by the standards of others. Today wasn’t about anyone else’s opinion. That was a mantra he repeated in his mind as he dressed in silence. 

He brushed and pulled back his hair and tucked one of the fragrant flowers into place for his boutonnière, and then picked up the tie Lance had chosen for him. 

It had been Lance’s idea to choose ties for one another. Lance had been thrilled with Keith’s choice; it was his “something blue”, he told Keith, a comment Keith was still not sure he understood. When Lance selected a red silk tie for Keith, Keith’s only thought was to smile at the way those colors seemed to follow them through their life. 

Maybe they always would. Maybe that was okay. 

Their suits were simple affairs, in tones of white and taupe that Shiro had promised looked excellent on both of them. Keith had yet to see Lance in his, but looking in the mirror, he imagined his fiancé probably wore it better than he did. 

Still, he was satisfied with the way he looked - as much as he was going to be, anyway - and was free to focus on other things. He had only just begun to revisit the strange empty feelings from earlier that morning when Shiro knocked on his door, signaling that it was nearly time for the ceremony to begin. 

“Hey, are you about ready to— Oh, Keith, you look great!” Shiro beamed. Keith gave him the best smile he could muster in reply. 

“Yeah? Think Lance will wanna take me home tonight looking like this?” 

“Now you sound just like him,” Shiro said, his grin not faltering. Keith shrugged, hands jammed into his pockets. 

“I guess there are worse ways to sound.” 

“Definitely worse ways to sound than happy,” Shiro nodded, stepping into the room to pull Keith into a hug. Keith relaxed into it, hoping that it would ease the longing for something in his chest. 

It didn’t. Shiro didn’t seem to notice. 

“Ready?” he asked, glowing with pride as Keith had never seen before. 

Keith could only give him a tight nod, following him out to take his place in front of their guests. 

—

Their venue was truly beautiful. As he had for many details of the day, Keith had given Lance his choice of where to hold their ceremony. Keith hadn’t been a bit surprised when Lance had asked to hold the celebration seaside. 

What was surprising was just how beautifully the simple little ceremony was brought together. 

The potent aroma of the juniberry flowers was at its headiest surrounding the archway that Lance’s family had constructed on the open stretch of shore. Buckets of the flowers placed in the way of the oceanic spring breeze ensured that petals floated by with every movement of the wind - just one of the many beautiful touches that had been added to make the ceremony  _ almost _ as perfect as Lance deserved. 

That was the thought that occupied Keith’s mind most as he took his place in front of the handmade altar. Shiro stood just a few feet away as his best man, dressed impeccably and smiling to beat the sunlight, ready to offer him support if he needed any. But Keith couldn’t think of what he would even ask for. Looking around, he had everything - friends, a family, a community there to support him and his future husband - but all he could think about was whether Lance would be pleased. 

_ God knew _ he deserved to be. They had all been through so much. From the first moment Lance had bared his body and Keith had seen just what their time in space had done to him - the scattered scars that stretched across Lance’s soft, beautiful skin - he had made up his mind that he would do anything to make that boy’s life as sweet as he could make it. 

He only hoped that Lance could taste the sweetness of the day, and that he didn’t feel quite so alone as Keith did. 

When the soft, ambient music playing changed to something more meaningful and the crowd turned to see that Lance was walking out to take his place, those swirling, troublesome thoughts came to a halt. The moment Keith saw Lance’s face - a giddy smile spreading across it as the little blue marks beneath his eyes twinkled - every trace of the loneliness that had plagued him that morning vanished into the sweetly-scented spring air. 

Lance was beautiful, looking back at Keith with visible excitement as he approached him. He was draped from his mother’s arm, who walked beside him like she was on a red carpet being recognized for some amazing accomplishment. She was, really. The way Lance looked as she brought him forward to Keith - it was unbelievable how one person could be so incredible. 

“Hey, you,” Lance said, as soon as he was within a few paces of where Keith stood. Keith found himself unable to speak, staring back at Lance with wide eyes. Thankfully, Lance seemed pleased with that reaction. “You look nice, too.” 

His mother hushed him, and Coran took his place as their officiant. 

“In the traditions of Earth and its people, I am obliged to ask you to present your son to this man to be wed,” he said, smiling at Lance’s mother. She nodded, brimming with obvious pride as she stood on her toes to kiss his forehead and adjust his tie. Lance laughed, pulling her into a hug before letting her find her seat and coming to stand directly in front of Keith. 

Suddenly, Keith could scarcely breathe. 

This was real. This was actually happening. Despite everything they had been through, despite Keith once fearing he had lost any chance to be with the beautiful boy looking back at him, they were about to  _ get married.  _ Life had brought them from two kids who barely knew one another to two men who could hardly live apart. 

Shiro and Krolia had been right. It was so easy to take his everyday reality for granted. But standing in front of a crowd of loved ones and watching Lance bite his lip to keep from smiling too widely, Keith was hit by the full force of his love for the other man. 

He felt his throat tighten as Lance unfolded a small slip of paper and began his vows. 

“Keith, sweetheart,” Lance began. His voice was smooth and steady, his sweet pet name piercing straight into Keith’s already tender heart. “I’ve struggled for weeks to find the right words to say to you in front of all these people. I know that whatever I say, our friends are never gonna let me live it down. So, all I could think to do was be honest with you.” There were cheers from the crowd that sounded suspiciously like Pidge and Matt, but they were hushed and Lance smiled before returning his eyes to Keith’s. 

“I’m here to give you my life. But the truth is, I already have. I put my life in your hands so many times, and you always protected it. You always guided and stood beside me. You’ve always been my partner. Even when…” Lance faltered, pausing for a moment to swallow. “Even when I didn’t see you for what you were, you were there. You’ve always been by my side. And now I want to be by yours.” 

He tucked the paper back into the pocket of his vest and bit his lip, grinning despite an obvious effort to prevent it. “I love you, Keith. Always and every day.” 

The sound of Lance’s family reacting to his promises of love gave a moment of pause to the ceremony before they were quieted as well. 

Finally, it was Keith’s turn. 

He had practiced what he was supposed to say, gone over it in his head at least a dozen times to ensure he didn’t make a complete ass out of himself that day in front of half the galaxy. But there was no amount of preparation that could have prepared him for the reality of standing in front of Lance, feeling like his eyes were the only ones focused on Keith. 

Perhaps it was because they were the only ones that really mattered. 

With the weight on his shoulders of that fond, familiar gaze and of the time having come to profess his unending love publicly, the dam that had been holding Keith’s emotions in check all morning fractured. A tiny hiccup escaped him as a tear rolled down his cheek and his mouth trembled before refusing to work. 

He slapped a hand over his eyes, mortified. 

“I’m sorry,” he choked out. He knew the audience couldn’t hear him. He wasn’t even sure Coran could. But he hoped Lance would, as he willed himself not to sob outright, tears beginning to fall in earnest. “I said I wouldn’t cry!” 

Yes, he had said he wouldn’t cry. But that was before he had seen his almost-husband, wearing the clothes they’d chosen together and an expression that silently shouted his excitement to be devoting his entire life to loving Keith. That was before Keith had realized that his mother and Shiro were right - that being apart from Lance affected him far more than he had ever imagined because Lance had become his everything, his other half. 

Keith had promised not to cry, but that was before he had felt the weight of his love for Lance crash upon him like the waves beyond them. Now crying was all that made sense. 

Keith expected laughter, or hushed whispers, or some kind of reaction from the people watching. He was creating quite the spectacle, he was certain. But instead of any of that, he felt a hand reach out to take hold of his, holding it as he shook, still hiding his tear-tracked face from the rest of the world. 

There was no laughter, no gossiping or teasing to be heard. There was no upset husband-to-be, embarrassed that Keith was making a scene. Instead, there was sweet, calming silence as juniberry petals floated in the air around them and Lance stroked calming patterns over the back of Keith’s shaking hand. 

When Keith finally moved his other hand away to look at him, Lance was looking back at him with such soft, sweet fondness, Keith still needed a moment more before he could speak. 

“I love you,” he managed, the first few words of his written vows forgotten. They didn’t matter. Nothing he could have said - no poetry known to any culture - would have been enough to express that simple sentiment the way he desperately needed to at that moment. 

“I practiced everything I was supposed to say,” he continued. “I even wrote it all down and studied! But this… I wasn’t ready for this, Lance. I wasn’t ready for how I was gonna feel, seeing you here and knowing that you were about to be mine for the rest of our lives. I’m still trying to convince myself that you saying yes was even real, and now we’re about to be married.” Keith abandoned his planned promises, opting instead to let Lance hear what was on his heart. 

“I’ve known for so long now that I was going to spend my entire life loving you, taking care of you and doing whatever it took to make this work. I just… I wasn’t ready for this. But I’m so, so ready to be married to you.” 

There was a beat of silence as Lance’s eyes fluttered closed, his cheeks going pink around his brilliant blue markings. He smiled, not bothering to bite it back this time. When he opened his eyes again, they sparkled like he might join Keith in crying. 

Keith dragged his wrist across his face to clear his own vision of tears and welcomed the reassuring squeeze of Lance’s hand around his. Somewhere beyond their little bubble of space, people were murmuring and cooing at the visible display of love between them. 

“Me too,” Lance told him, his thumb rubbing across the back of Keith’s. He brought Keith’s hand to his lips and pressed a kiss there, grinning against the skin when Hunk shouted at them to wait until they were told to kiss. 

“Well, if Coran would get a move on!” Lance replied, loud enough that everyone could hear. Laughter erupted; the tension was broken. Keith was relieved to have everyone’s focus off of him for a fraction of a moment so he could remember how to breathe. 

Beside him, Lance held his hand as he did. 

“Before I can do that, I have two very important questions!” Coran chirped, winking at Keith. Coran drew himself up taller, clearing his throat. 

“Do you, Keith, take Lance to be your husband, in the eyes of your loved ones, your home planet, and the universe?”

Keith swallowed, holding Lance’s hand like a guardrail. “I do.” 

“And do you, Lance, take Keith to be your husband, in the eyes of your loved ones, your home planet, and the universe?”

There was another squeeze of Keith’s hand. Lance smiled. “I do.” 

Coran beamed, clapping his hands together and addressing the crowd beyond them. “Then, by the power granted to me by the intergalactic coalition and the favor asked by these two young men, I now pronounce you as husbands, mates, and life partners in all recognized forms. May your lives together be long and sweet!”

The people gathered to watch them wed cheered the moment Coran finished his pronouncement. There were petals tossed into the air and shouts of congratulations erupting from voices Keith could hardly even recognize. 

His mind took note of none of it. 

Instead, his focus narrowed to the man looking back at him with that same warm, besotted expression that had first managed to convince Keith to propose in the first place. He pulled Keith toward him, a gentle, inviting kind of gesture, looping one arm around his neck and sighing in front of his lips as he smiled. 

“Time to kiss my husband,” he said, before finally closing the space between them. Keith’s eyes shuttered closed as the breath left his lungs, stolen away by the feeling of Lance’s hands pulling their bodies closer together. Humming, Keith let himself be kissed, sliding arms around Lance’s waist and smiling for the first time in what felt like forever. 

It was only fitting that that smile was pressed against his husband’s lips. 

When they parted, it seemed that Lance had noticed. 

“So, it took me promising to love you forever in front of half the universe to get you to smile today, huh? And you say  _ I’m _ the drama queen.” He poked at Keith’s chest affectionately, still held tightly around the waist. Keith had no intention of letting him go anytime soon. 

“Maybe,” Keith replied, leaning forward to press his forehead to Lance’s. The drying tears on his cheeks made his face feel cool in the springtime breeze. Around them, juniberry petals still drifted in the air and people had risen from their seats, music playing and celebration already beginning. 

Keith ignored it all for as long as he could, happy to linger in the moment with his new husband for as long as he could. 

“Well, I can’t throw a party like this every day. The flowers alone took like three months to grow. But I can give you the rest of it every day for the rest of our lives if it’ll make you smile,” Lance promised. He pressed a kissed to Keith’s nose, his cheek, his lips. 

Keith savored the kiss, chasing it with several more before finally pulling back just enough to look at Lance’s face. 

“How about you just give me you, every day, for the rest of our lives?” he asked. Lance grinned. 

“Pretty sure I just did. And I’m pretty sure we have a party to go to now because of it.” 

“Hadn’t noticed,” Keith smiled, delighting in the way Lance’s little blue markings twinkled when he laughed. “I guess we’d better show up then, huh?” 

They shared one more kiss - one more blissful moment for just the two of them - before they were all but attacked from both sides by their overjoyed friends. Keith laughed as Shiro and Hunk picked them up, putting the new grooms on their shoulders and parading them through the crowd like royalty. Lance reached out for Keith’s hand and took it, holding it even as they went. 

The feeling of completeness with that hand softly holding his was one Keith couldn’t wait to feel for the rest of his life. 

Keith said he wouldn’t cry. 

But he had never been so content to be wrong. 


End file.
